‘TUF: Brazil 3’ Recap: Episode 3

This episode of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” picks up right where
last week left off: Wanderlei
Silva is still irate over rival coach Chael
Sonnen’s derogatory remarks about Brazil, and “The Axe
Murderer” will not choose teams unless Sonnen apologizes.

Sonnen, of course, refuses to say he’s sorry, which sends Silva
storming out of the gym, fuming over his future opponent’s lack of
respect. After cooling down, Silva storms right back into the gym
and explain his position to the 16 assembled fighters.

“So, guys, we had a bit of a quarrel,” says Silva. “My opponent
didn’t want to redeem himself over what he said about us. But I
honor my agreements, and I made an agreement with you guys. I won’t
take your dream away from you. He’ll apologize in the worst
possible manner. It’ll be on the day we fight. I’ll knock him out
hard. I’ll hurt him.”

With the stalemate ended, it’s finally time for the coaches to
select their squads. Silva wins the coin toss and opts to match up
the first fight of the season, while Sonnen will get first choice
of the fighters, a decision the Oregonian calls “very bizarre.”
Sonnen uses the top pick in the 185-pound draft to take Marcio
Alexandre Jr., while Silva chooses Wand Fight Team member
Ricardo
Abreu. Silva gets first crack at the heavyweights and picks
Antonio
Carlos Jr., and Sonnen takes Marcos
Rogerio de Lima.

Here’s how the teams shape up, with fighters listed in the order
they were chosen:

Both coaches seem happy with the teams they’ve selected, but the
day doesn’t end without a little extra drama. As Silva is wrapping
up the ceremony and wishing the fighters luck on “TUF: Brazil 3,”
Sonnen can’t resist the urge to chime in.

“Don’t call it ‘TUF.’ Call it ‘The Wanderlei Show,’” Sonnen taunts.
“Call it what you think it is, stupid.”

The last remark gets Silva’s goat, and the Brazilian gives Sonnen a
hard shove in the chest while calling him a word that would get
bleeped on stateside television. The fighters separate their
coaches and Silva storms off again.

“I know I shouldn’t have done that,” Silva says in a confessional,
“but I’m a hothead. I can’t suck it up, I’m sorry.”

The day after their first night in the “TUF” house -- where the
fighters enjoy pizza and complimentary shampoo -- the competitors
gather in the backyard. Assistant coaches Hortencia Marcari and
Isabel Salgado have some information: the fighters will be
responsible for narrowing a field of 16 aspiring Octagon girls down
to eight. The fighters are predictably excited, though some more
than others.

“It was funny because many of us are married,” says Alves. “The
married guys had impeccable behavior.”

After a barbecue meet-and-greet, the fighters evaluate the girls
and choose their eight: Patricia Andrade, Fernanda Hernandez,
Rafaela Machado, Thais Andrade, Camila Bortolotti, Ana Cecilia
Cunha, Wendy, and Francine Pantaleao. Each one will serve as the
Octagon girl for one fight, with the winner being selected at
season’s end.

Training begins, and Sonnen immediately begins drilling his team in
wrestling fundamentals. Afterward, he calls a meeting and gives
each fighter individual notes on their skills and performances so
far. Silva, meanwhile, works on all manner of skills with his crew
-- striking, grappling and takedowns -- to further assess their
potential.

The time comes for the first fight selection, and coach Wanderlei
will be matching up two middleweights. Wagner Silva Gomes gets the
assignment from his coach, while Team Sonnen will be represented by
Joilton Santos. Sonnen is bewildered by the pick, pegging Santos as
one of his top fighters. Wanderlei explains that he believes
“Wagnao” to possess greater physical strength than his opponent,
who has previously competed at lightweight.

Both men make weight without incident, and both appear relaxed on
fight day. Santos admitted to anxiety during the week, even
vomiting in training, but he’s cracking jokes in the locker
room.

“Can I put plaster in this?” he asks as his hands are wrapped for
the fight.

The fight begins and Gomes looks to close in on Santos, walking him
toward the fence before changing levels for a takedown. Santos
stands him up and punishes Gomes with knees to the midsection.
Gomes executes a trip takedown, landing in half guard. Gomes frames
up an arm-triangle choke while Santos shrugs, looking to the
referee for a stand-up. The ref does not oblige, and Gomes nearly
traps Santos in a crucifix before losing the position and getting
swept underneath. Gomes throws up his legs, threatening with an
armbar, so Santos stands to kick at his opponent’s legs and land
punches to the gut. Gomes scrambles up and the middleweights fight
on the fence, with Santos on the outside, scoring with punches
while keeping Gomes pinned.

Santos looks for another takedown early in round two, but Gomes
stifles this one and catches Santos kneeling. After four or five
hard punches, Santos rolls Gomes over and postures up to drop shots
from half guard. Gomes pops up, still pressed against the cage and
now trickling blood from his forehead. Two minutes into the round,
Gomes catches a knee to the cup in the clinch and takes a few
seconds to recover. Santos catches a kick and shoves Gomes to the
ground, but Gomes stands right back up to land a double-leg
takedown, putting Santos on his seat near the fence. The kneeling
Santos looks suddenly exhausted as he absorbs heavy right hands.
Gomes tries a rear-naked choke, gets scraped off and switches to an
arm-triangle choke which Santos is forced to withstand for the
final 30 seconds of the round.

The fight goes to a third round, where both men appear hesitant to
engage in the opening 90 seconds. Santos finally gets busy with a
few leg kicks, a jab and a left hook that prompts Gomes to shoot
for a takedown. Gomes plows Santos down to the mat and spends a
minute working to keep him there. Santos eventually pulls his leg
free and stands to hold Gomes on the fence. A few short knees to
Gomes’ legs are not enough action for the referee, who separates
the fighters with 45 seconds remaining. Santos finishes the fight
shooting against the fence.

When the final horn sounds, Gomes’ teammates believe their man has
the fight in the bag. They are correct, and “Wagnao” advances to
the semifinals with a split-decision victory over Santos, putting
Team Silva up 1-0 over Team Sonnen.